Ironing-machine.



s HfWRlGHT. IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV-13,1912.

I Patented May 9,1916.

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IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13,1912- 1 1mm 8, Patented May 9,1916.

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S. H. WRIGHT.

momwe MACHIN EQ APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13.1912.

Patented May 9,1916.

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Witnesses M1 OA'M' H 59 S. H. WRIGHT.

IRONING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 13,1912.

Patented May 9, 1916.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4 ms mr Inventor 2.6 mMwI Quwm SEYMOUR H. WRIGHT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IRONING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 13, 1912. Serial No. 731,116.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SEYMOUR H. WRIGHT, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefullmprovement in Ironing-Machines, and declare the following to be a full, clear, and

exact description of the same, such as will enable, others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying ing one another be as uniform as possiblev from end to end and that the pressure on the several rolls be the same. Further sub sidiary objects of my invention are there fore to insure uniformity of pressure from one end of a roll to the other and equality of pressure between the several rolls of a group. n

The various features of novelty whereby my invention is characterized will hereinafter be pointed out with particularity in .the claims; but for a full understanding of my invention and of its various objects and advantages, reference may be had tothe following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Referring to the drawings (see particu-.

larly Fig. 1) 1 represents a drum or steam Patented May 9, 1916.-

chest of any desired length and havinga 1 cross section approximately triangular in shape. The drum or chest is suitably supported upon a suitable frame, 2, so as to make one of thethree sides the top. The other two sides extend downwardly and meet along a line below the center of the top. The side forming the topof the chest or drum is corrugated, the corrugations being parallel to the longitudinal axis of the chest or drum. The other two sides of the chest or drum are made slightly convex, as indicated at 3 and 4. The apex at the bottom is rounded off as indicated at 5 so as to make the two sides merge into each other along gentle curves. At one of the upper edges, namely the edge which is at the front of the machine, is an upwardlyprojecting wall or flange, 6, while the opposite upper corner is rounded off as indicated at 7.

The chest or drum may be cast or otherwise formed in a, single piece or in sections which may be fastened together to produce a rigid substantially unitary structure, the ends being closed in any suitable way, either in the casting operation or by means of separate heads, since it is immaterial what the structural details are so long as the result is a chest or drum having three sides each of which may be heatedfrom a single body of steam entering the interior of the chest or drum. It will also be understood that the length of the chest or drum will depend upon the width of the work which it may be desired to pass through the same.

I have stated that the top wall of the chest or drum is corrugated. By this I mean that the top Wall of the chest or drum is provided with a series of parallel concave seats extending lengthwise thereof and separated by convex portions, all merged together along gradual curves so as to leave no sharp edge or abrupt change in the surface. The number of these con cave seats may of course be varied, there being in the arrangement illustrated four of them, indicated at 8, 9, 10 and 11 respectively; and in operative relation to each of these seats is a long ironing roll of any usual or suitable construction, these being indicated at 12, 13, 14 and 15 respectively. The concave seat, 8, at the front end lies just inside of the upright flange or wall, 6. and the curvature of this seat is continued upward along the inner side of this flange Distributed along the front side wall of the chest or drum is a series of ironing rolls lying parallel with the upper rolls and cooperating with the front side of the chest or drum; four of these rolls, indicated at 18, 19, 20 and 21, being illustrated. The uppermost roll of this lastseries is located adjacent to the top of the front wall of the'chest or drum while the lowermost roll is at some distance above the curved apex. The rolls 18 to 21, like the other set of rolls, may be of any usual or suitableconstruction and be cushioned in the usual way. Just beneath the lowermost roll 21 is a small roller, 22, pressing against the front side or wall of the chest or drum. Just above the upper back rounded corner, 7, of the chest or drum is another small roller, 23, and pressing against this roller is a tension roller, 24. A series of endless strings or narrow ribbons, 25, extends from the roll 18 to the roll 21, the strings passing over these rolls in the fashion of belts passingaround pulleys and lying on opposite sides of the two intermediate rolls 19 and 20. The strings are tight enough so that as the rolls rotate .they will be driven so as to travel down the front wall of the chest ordrum. Between the roll 21 and the roller 22 is a rod, 26, extending along and in proximity to the front wall of the chest or drum and the tapes, 25, pass over, this rod as well as over the roll 21, thus preventing the strings from following the curvature of the roll 21 away from the front wall of the chest or drum and bringing the tapes down close to the roller 22 travel outwardly.

A series of endless tapes or ribbons, 27 passes over the rollers 22 and 23, being pressed against the front wall of the chest or drum by the roller 22 and, being carried around under the rounded apex at the bot tom of the drum and up the convex back wall of the drum over theroller 23 and between the latter roller and the tension roller 24. These tapes are made long enough so that the portions which extend between the outer sides of the rollers 22 and 23 hang loose. The tapes 27 are driven by the rollers 23 and 24 and drawn thereby around the .roller 22 so that the portions next to the before they begin to walls of the; chest or drum will always lie rolls 12 to 15 pass a series of endless sepa rated strings, 28, the lower half of thesestrings following-the configuration-of the top face of the chest or drum and the upper half lying above the rolls 12 to 15. If de sired, the upperhalf of the strings may pass through eyes, 29, extending downwardly'from a rod or bar, '30, supported above the plane of the top of the rolls in any suitable way.

The various rolls and rollers may of course be supported and operated in many difierent ways Without departing from the broad principle of my invention. I prefer, however, to mount the main ironing rolls at the top and along the front of the machine in such a Way that the-pressure on the rolls in each group will be equalized automatically. I also prefer to mount these rolls in such a way that all the rolls of each group may be shifted toward and from the chest or drum.

Referring now to the drawings, it will be seen that each of the rolls 12 to 15 is sup ported at its ends in journal boxes, 45, slidably mounted in the vertical pockets or bearings, 45, in the frame of the machine.

the top of the e ualizing bar 48 and the head 51, is a spring, 52. When free to do so, the rolls 12 to 15 rest in the concave seats in the. top of the chest, the downward pressure depending upon the weight of these rolls and the tension of the spring 52. By drawing down upon the rod 49 the tension of the spring 52 may be increased and thus the pressure of the rolls may be controlled. When the'rod, 49, is raised, the shoulder 50 engages with the-under side of the main equalizing bar, lifting the latter and causing the rolls to be lifted from the chest or drumi V The rods 49. may be actuated and controlled in any suitable way. In the arrangement shown, each of the rods 49 is connected at its-lower end to one arm of a 54; the eccentric rod' having a suitable strap passing-over an eccentric 55 fixed upon a rotary shaft, 56, extending across the machine. I

The shaft, '56, is provided at one end with a suitable operating and locking lever, 57 by which it may be turned and held in any angular position. By this arrangement,

degree of pressure.

through a manipulation of the lever 57, the upper group of rolls may be raised and held raised out of contact with the steam chest or drum when no work is passing through the machine or lowered down upon the drum when the machine is to be operated. and, when the rolls are in their working positions, the pressure between them and the chest or drum may be regulated. It will be seen that both ends of each roll are acted on simultaneously in exactly the same way when the lever 57 is manipulated, so that uniformity of pressure is maintained at all points between the rolls and the chest or drum. It will of course beunderstood that while I have illustrated an arrangement in which there is a single spring common to corresponding ends of all four rolls, any other desired arrangement of springs may be employed, since my invention is not limited to the use of a single spring at each end of the group of rolls.

The rolls 18 to 21 are preferably supported in the same way as the other group, so that they may be moved toward or away from the front wall of the steam chest or drum or held against the same with any desired degree of pressure. I have therefore illustrated these rolls as supported in slidable journal boxes, 60;. the two journal boxes connected with the rolls 18 and 19 being connected together by an equalizer, 61; the twojournal boxes connected with the rolls 20 and 21 being connected together by anequalizer 62; and the equalizers 61 and 62 being connected midway between their ends to the ends of a main equalizer,

64. This group of rolls is controlled by bars, 65, each of which passes at right angles through one of the main equalizer bars at the center of the latter, being provided with heads or shoulders 66 and 67 on opposite sides of the equalizer. On the under or outer side of each of the main equalizers-is a spring, 68, surrounding the 'corresponding rod, 65, and lying between the equalizer and the shoulder 66. The rods may be connected at their front end to straps passing over eccentrics, 69, on a transverse shaft, 70, the shaft having an operating lever, 71, similar to the lever 57.

Without going into detail, it will be seen that by means of the lever 71 the front rolls may be moved toward or away from the front of the chest or drum, ,or be held against the chest or drum with any desired The roller 22 18 preferably supported in ournal boxes 72 which are movable in a direction at right angles to the adjacent surface of the chest or drum, springs 73 being provided behind these journal boxes in order that the roller may be held with a yielding pressure, and adjustingscrews, 74,

being also provided.

The roller 23 may be mounted in .suitable stationary bearings in the frame, but the roller 24 is preferably mounted in bearings, 75, similar to the bearings of the roller 22, so that the roller 24 may be held against the roller 23 with a variable yielding pressure.

The various other smaller rollers and guide rods may be supported in any suitable way upon the frame.

. On one end of the machine is mounted a pulley 80, or other rotary device adapted to be driven in any suitable manner. Connected to this pulley is a pinion, 81, meshing with a gear wheel, 82, suitably supported on the frame of the machine. The gear wheel 82 is provided with two sprocket "axis lying between and parallel with the rolls 12 and 13 is a sprocket wheel, 85. A similar sprocket wheel, 86, is journaled on the frame between the rolls 14 and 15. 87 is a sprocket chain passing over and around the sprocket wheel 83 and over and around the sprocket wheels 85 and 86. The sprocket wheel 85 is provided with a pinion 85 meshing with gear wheels, 88 and 89, onthe ends of the rolls 12 and 13 respectively. Similarly a pinion, 90, on the sprocket wheel, 86, meshes with gear wheels, 91 and 92, respectively, 0n the ends of the rolls, 14 and 15, respectively. In the same way, a sprocket chain 93 passes over the sprocket. wheel 84 and over and around sprocket wheels, 94 and 95, journaled in the frame-of the machine between the rolls 18 and 19 and the rolls 20 and 21, respectively. The sprocket be seen that when the pulley 80 or, other power device is actuated, the two groups of ironing rolls will be set in operation.

The power device and driving connections which I have just describedare all arranged on one end of the machine.

rear roll, 15, of the upper group is provided with two sprocket wheels, and 106. A

sprocket chain, 107, passing over the sprocket wheel 105 and a sprocket wheel on the corresponding end of the conveyer roller 40 serves to drive this conveyer roller when the machine is in operation. In the same way, a sprocket-chain, 108, passing over the sprocket wheel, 106, and over a sprocket wheel on the corresponding end of the drive roller 23, for the tapes, 27, serves to operate the roller 23. The ironing roll, 18, isprovided on this end of the machine with a sprocket wheel over which passes a sprocket At the opposite end of the machine, the 4' groups of main ironing rolls are brought against the cooperating surfaces on the steam chest or drum. The work is laid upon the feed board, in a flat condition and is carried by the movable tapes thereof between the first ironing roll, 18, and the side of the chest or drum. The roll, 18, feeds the work down until it reaches the next roll of the group-which passes it on. Each of the rolls of the first group presses the work firmly against the front of the chest and partially irons it. The strings, serve to hold the work against the face of the chest-or drum during its downward passage and prevent it from following the curvature of the rolls and leaving the chest or drum. The rolls are spaced far enough apart to permit ready evaporation of moisture. as the work is passing from one roll to the next, the evaporation being increased by reason of the fact that the work is held against the hot surface of the chest or drum during its passage from one roll to the other. When the advance end of a piece of work passes under the last of the first group of rolls, it is delivered by the strings between the pressure t roller 22 and the front face of thechest or drum and is carried by the tapes or ribbons 27 around under the chest or drum and up the convex rear side. convexity of the surfaces, the tapes 27 easily hold the work snugly against the hot surfaces so that the work is not only dried but a smoothing or ironing action is given to it.

- The tapes 27 are made of porous material \I so that the hot vapor from the work can escape freely through as well as between the As the advance end of the work chest or drum it is delivered by the tapes 27 beneath the crescent shaped guides 32 and thence under the strings 28 and beneath the upper groupof ironing rolls. The upper group of rolls feed the work forward across the undulating top surface of the drum and complete the ironing. Asthe advance end- 'of the work reaches the front roll 12, it is' fed up along the inner face of the wall or fiange6 and beneath the fingers or guides 17, so that it passes 'up over the top of the roll 12 and is delivered upon the conveyer .39 made of endlessmarrow tapes or strings. While on the .conveyer, the drying of the work is completed so that when the work .is delivered upon. the folding table at the rear it is finished and ready to be folded. It will thus be seen that during the entire travel of a piece of work from the time it entersthe machine to the time that it is On account of the smooth.

dofi'ed, it never comes out of contact with the hot surfaces of the chest or drum, so

are no exposed hot surfaces at any point around the chest or drum which do not come into action as drying and ironing surfaces except, of course, the ends of the chest or drum which may easily be protected soas to. prevent radiation. Furthermore, by making the top of the chest or drum of a single piece or, in effect, a single piece, the undulating surface may be finished easily and conveniently and be-made extremely accurate; thu s insuring a low cost of manufacture, perfect alinement, and great stability.

VVhilefiI have illustrated and described with particularity only a single preferred form of my invention, I do not desire to be limited to the exact structural details thus illustrated and described; but intendto cover all forms and arrangements which fall within the terms employed in the definitions of my invention constituting the appended claims.

I claim: I

1. In an ironing machine, a chest or drum substantially triangular in cross section, the three sides being working faces. 7

2. In an ironing machine, a chest or drum substantially triangular in cross section, one

of the sides being horizontal and the apex surface composed of alternate concave and,

convex portions extending longitudinally thereof, and ,the other two sides being 5. In an ironing machine, a three-sided chest or drum, one ofthe sides having a surface composed of alternate concave and convex portions extending longitudinally thereof, and the other two sides being slightly convex.

6. In an ironing machine, a three-sided chest or drum, one of the sides having an undulating surface and the other two sides having plain surfaces, and a wall or ledge along one edge of the first-mentioned side having its inner face merged gradually into that side.

7. In an ironing machine, a three-sided chest or drum, one of the sides having an undulating surface and thev other two sides-v having plain surfaces, and a wall or. ledge along one edge of the first-mentioned side having its inner face merged gradually into that side and the other two edges or corners being rounded.

8. In an ironing machine, a threesided chest or drum, one of the sides having a surface composed of alternate concave and convex portions extending longitudinally thereof, the other two sides-being slightly convex, and the twd of the edges or corners between one of the convex sides and the other two sides being graduallyrounded.

9. In an ironing machine, a three-sided chest or drum, one of the sides being .arranged horizontally and having an'undulating surface,.ironing rolls coiiperatingwith the horizontal side and one of the other sides, and means for carrying Work across the third side.

10. In an ironing machine, a three-sided chest or drum arranged with one of the sides horizontal, preliminary ironing rolls coiiperating with one of the other sides, means for receiving work from the aforesaid rolls and carrying it across and in contact with r the third side and delivering it to the horizontal side, and finishing rolls cooperating with the latter side.

11. In an ironing machine, athree-sided chest or drum arranged with its top side horizontal, preliminary ironing rolls cooperating with the front side of the chest or drum, means for receiving work from the aforesaid rolls .and carrying it up along the rear side and delivering it to the top side, finishing rolls codperating with the top side,

\ and means for receiving the work from the finishing rolls at the front of the machine and carrying it back to a discharge point at the back of the machine.

12. In an ironing machine: a three-sided chest or drum arranged with one of its sides at the top and the other two sides at the front and at the back, respectively preliminary ironing rolls cooperating with the-front side of the chest or drum; a series of tapes extending around the bottom of the chest or, drum and up the rear side for receiving work from the preliminary ironing rolls and drawing it up across the back side to the .top F side; and finishing rolls cooperating with the top side of the chest or drum.

' 13. In an ironing machine: a three-sidedchest or drum arranged with one of its sides at the top and the other two sides at the front and at the back, respectively; preliminary ironing rolls cotiperating with the front side of the chest or drum; a roller adjacent to the lowermost preliminary ironing roll and pressing against the chest or drum; a driving roller at the upper rear corner vof the chest or drum; and a series of endless j tapes passing over said rollers, said tapes being long enough to allow the outer halves thereof to hang loose; and finishing rolls cooperating with the top of the chest or drum.

14. In an ironing machine: a three-sided chest or drum arranged with one .of its sides atthe top and the other two sides at the front and at the back, respectively; the bottom corner and the upper rear corner of the chest or drum being gradually rounded; preliminary ironing rolls cotiperating with the front side of the chest or drum; finishing rolls cotiperating with the top side of the chest or drum; a pressure roller engaging with the front wall of the chest or drum below the lowermostprel-imi-nary ironing roll; a series of endless tapespassi-ng around said pressure roller and up the backside of thechest or drum to the upper rear corner; and means for drawing the tapes over said pressure roller and past saidnpper rear corner.

15. In an ironing machine: a three-sided chest or drum arranged with one of its sides at the top and the other two sides at the front'and at the back, respectively; the bottom corner and the upper rear corner of the chest or drum being gradually rounded; preliminary ironing rolls cooperating with the front side of the chest or drum; endless tapes passing around said preliminary ironing rolls; finishing rolls cooperating with the top side of'the chest or drum; a pressure roller engaging with the front wall of the chest or drum below the lowermost preliminary ironing roll; a series of endless tapes passing around said pressure roller and up the back side of the chest or drum to the upper rear corner; and means for drawing the tapes over said pressure roller and past said upper rear corner.

16. In an ironing machine, a chest or drum, aseries of three or more ironing rolls, and yieldable connections between said rolls for distributing an excess pressure on any one of the rolls among the other rolls.

17. In an ironing machine, a chest or drum, a series of three or more ironing rolls and yieldableconnections between sai rolls constructed and arranged to cause the re-- maining rolls to be pressed toward said chest or drunr when one or'more rolls of the series are lifted.

18. In an ironing machine, a chest or drum, a series of three or more ironing rolls engaging with said chest or drum, equalizer levers between said rolls, and a single spring acting on said levers to'produce a uniform said ro1-ls,-a rod provided with a shoulder 1 for engaging with one of said levers to move drum substantially triangular in cross section, one of the sides forming the top and the apex being at the bottom, one or more ironing rolls cooperating with the top side of the chest or drum, the other two sides being slightly convex, and means for feeding work to be ironed across the latter two sides and delivering it to the top side.

22. In an ironing machine, a three sided chest or drum two of the corners of the drum being gradually rounded, and meansassociated with the chest or drum for carrying work to be ironed from a point adjacent to the third corner around andin contact with the drum and back again to the latter corner. v

23. In an ironing machine, a three-sided chest or drum, one of the sides being at the top, a series of ironing rolls cooperating with the top side, a second series of ironing rolls cooperating with one of the other sides,

and means for carrying the work across the 24:. In an ironing machine, a three-sided chest or drum, one of the sides having one or more concave portions, the other two sidesbeing slightly convex, and two of the corners being rounded so as to merge one of the sides gradually into the other two sides.

25. .In' an ironing machine, a three-sided chest or drum,vpreliminary ironing rolls cooperating with one of said sides, means for receiving the work from the aforesaid rolls and carrying it acrossand in contact with the second side and finally delivering it to the third side, and finishing rolls cooperating with the third side. 26. In an ironing machine, a chest or drum, a roller pressing against said chest or drum, a driving roller pressing against the chest or drum at a point remote fromthe other roller, and a series ofendle'ss tapes passing over said rollers, said tapes belng long enough to allow the outer halves there- I of to hang loose.

27. In an ironing machine, a three-sided chest or drum, preliminary ironing rolls 00- operating with-one of the sides, a roller adjaoent-to the lowermost preliminary lronlng roll and pressing against the chest or drum,

a driving roller pressing against the second side of the drum near the corner where the second joins the third side, a series of endless tapes passing over' said rollers, 'said' tapes being long enough to allow the outer halves thereof to hang loose, and finishing rolls cooperating with the third side of the chest or dru'rn.- v

In testimony whereof, I s1gnth1s specification in the presence of two witnesses.

SEYMOUR H. wn enr.

Witnesses: WM. F. FREUDENREICH,

RUTH E. ZETTERVALL'. 

